A 13-YEAR-OLD boy who drowned after getting into difficulty at a popular swimming spot for children in the river Lee in Cork had a “significant” level of alcohol in his blood, an inquest into his death heard yesterday.
Kieran Cummins died from cardio-respiratory failure due to drowning close to the Shakey Bridge in Fitzgerald’s Park on June 23rd, 2008. The boy, from Bridevalley Park, Fairhill, had been swimming with friends when the tragedy occurred.
His cousin, Ryan Steele, told Cork city coroner’s court yesterday that Kieran had jumped off the bridge into the water a number of times before swimming out to a pontoon in the middle of the river. He tried to get up on the pontoon, but was unable to do so and went under the water. Ryan thought a rope might have got caught around his cousin’s leg. The children threw a lifebuoy but Kieran was unable to reach it.
When he arrived at the scene Sgt Pat Murphy met a group of distraught young people who pleaded with him to “do something, please, our friend has gone under”. He entered the water but failed to find Kieran as visibility was very poor.
Sgt Murphy said there was a tradition of children swimming at this point and jumping off the bridge. The council put a pontoon in the water every year and there were lifebuoys. He was not aware of any other fatal incident involving recreational swimming in that part of the river. “There was a current but it was nothing an experienced swimmer could not manage,” Sgt Murphy said.
The inquest heard a Naval diving team discovered the boy’s body at 12.04am only six metres from the pontoon. Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said the cause of death was cardio-respiratory failure due to drowning. She identified the presence of 127mg of alcohol per 100mls of blood at the time of death.
Coroner for Cork city Dr Myra Cullinane said this was the equivalent of about five alcoholic drinks. Although Kieran had been swimming in a relatively safe place, he would not have been able to handle himself as well in the water due to the level of alcohol in his blood, she said.
She recorded a verdict of death due to misadventure.
